Timeline
1996 :July 2: A massive alien mothership entered Earth's orbit, deploying 36 "City Destroyers" to annihilate the world's largest cities. Within 48 hours, 108 cities were reduced to ashes. :July 4: Earth's nations launched a globally coordinated counterattack which took out the alien mothership - halting their fourth wave of attacks and eliminating the extraterrestrial threat. 1997 :November 11: Reconstruction begins on Earth as the great cities, monuments, and landmarks of the world are slowly restored to their former glory. Although the alien threat is neutralized, a small pocket of alien resistance is isolated in the African Congo. 1998 :March 17: The near annihilation of humankind has given an unexpected (but welcome) effect, as centuries of old conflicts and political distrust are dissolved to create an unprecedented unity among the nations of the world. :May 25: Following the newly established global peace alliance, the United Nations creates the Earth Space Defense program (ESD) to serve as an early warning system and united global defense unit. David Levinson is appointed as its Director. In conjunction with this announcement, the ESD launches a worldwide publicity and recruitment campaign. 1999 :January 8: The ESD applies recovered alien shield technology to an F-22 Raptor to understand how they can better integrate other alien technology into future full Hybrid Fighters. This light experiment will serve as the foundation for the dramatic innovations that the ESD delivers nearly a decade later. 2000 :June 22: Following the destruction of the alien mothership, Las Vegas was completely demolished by a crashing City Destroyer. Since then, thousands have visited the untouched ruins - serving as a dramatic reminder of the aliens' ruthless attack and a permanent memorial. 2001 :August 10: A large group of alien survivors in the Congo continue to hold out in a remote part of the African Congo. The ESD repeatedly offers their support and assistance to the local government, but is met with aggressive refusal. It is estimated that it will take five more years to subdue the final alien holdouts - a decade after their initial attack. 2003 :October 23: Applying new data from recovered alien weaponry, U.S. Army scientists make dramatic advances in applying their findings to military applications. While there is initially some controversy around exploiting this technology, demonstrations of the new weapons' capabilities quickly alleviate fears. 2007 :April 27: Col. Steven Hiller dies while test piloting the ESD's first alien hybrid fighter. He is survived by his wife Jasmine and son Dylan. 2009 :February 21: Monitored from its command center in Beijing, China, the Earth Space Defense Moonbase opens as ESD Director David Levinson presided over the ribbon cutting ceremony. Designed with both offensive and defensive weapons capabilities, the Moonbase is the first of several planetary bases designed to monitor the solar system for potential alien threats. 2011 :June 4: As a Keynote speaker at the 2011 TEDx Conference, ESD Director David Levinson highlights some of the breakout consumer products that were inspired by alien technologies - including touchscreen smartphones, bladeless fans, drones and airport security scanners. 2013 :January 20: Elizabeth Lanford, the forward-thinking former Vice President, is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States - becoming the first woman in history to command the oval office. 2014 :August 19: After years of research and development from ESD scientists around the world, the next generation of hybrid alien vehicles and weapon systems are introduced. One of the standouts is the T4 Global Defender Hybrid Fighter, boasting unprecedented speed, maneuverability and offensive capabilities. 2016 :February 15: Kicking off the upcoming 20th Anniversary celebration of the War of 1996, President Lanford unveils a newly commissioned portrait of 42nd President Thomas Whitmore - honoring his valor and leadership to unite the world and lead humanity from its darkest day to a brighter future. :July 4: Earth celebrates its 20th anniversary of the 1996 invasion. By this time, humanity has colonized Mars and Saturn's moon Rhea. Category:Independence Day Category:Independence Day Expanded Universe Category:Independence Day: Resurgence